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STRAIGHTUP SEVENHILLS: Band’s new EP coming out May 7
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THURSDAY, APRIL 29 , 2021 EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS WEEK
VOL. 47 NO. 17
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Are you ready for anything? PAGE 11
Ferry travel down
NEW RESTRICTIONS AND RAINS KEPT THE VISITORS AWAY LAST WEEKEND JANE SEYD
North Shore News
LEN GILDAY PHOTO
FRY FREEDOM: Terminal Creek Hatchery volunteers celebrated Earth Day by releasing 100,000 chum
salmon fry into Bowen waters. See the story on p. 13.
Ferry travel from West Vancouver’s Horseshoe Bay terminal was down by a third this past weekend as the province’s new restrictions on travel. Travel on the ferry between Horseshoe Bay and Bowen Island was down 35 per cent in passengers and 21 per cent in vehicles compared to the previous weekend, according to Deborah Marshall, executive director of public affairs for B.C. Ferries. This decrease was less than the Nanaimo - Departure Bay route, down 42 per cent for passengers and 37 per cent for vehicles compared to the previous weekend and the Horseshoe Bay-Langdale route down 38 per cent for passengers and 33 per cent for vehicles. Traffic between Horseshoe Bay and Nanaimo, which is in a different health region, is covered by a provincial order which came into force April 23 restricting all but essential travel in and out of the Lower Mainland and between health regions. Vancouver Coastal Health and Fraser Health are considered the same region under the new restrictions. Traffic to Bowen Island – where a number of day-trippers were recently stranded following ferry cancellations – and to the Sunshine Coast, is not covered by the formal order because they are in the same health region as the Lower Mainland, although recreational travel is still being discouraged. “It is an honour system,” said Marshall. Ferry staff will ask if travel is for essential reasons but “we’re not demanding proof of travel.” Marshall said she was aware of only about half a dozen incidents over the weekend throughout the ferry fleet “where we did have to deny travel.” Those cases involved people who weren’t aware of the new restrictions, she said. On Friday, mayors of Sea to Sky communities including Whistler and Squamish put out a statement urging everyone in the Lower Mainland, including the North Shore, not to visit until after restrictions are lifted following the May long weekend. (Bowen Island hasn’t recently issued such a plea). CONTINUED ON P. 7
High up, where the views are best. Your neighbours are few. Peace and quiet prevails.
921 Valhalla Place
•
$875,000
A flat driveway is in place, many trees have been cleared, and sun exposure is excellent year round.
buyonbowen.com
604.220.7085
0.54 acre building lot
lot lines are approximate
A2 • Thursday, April 29, 2021
bowenislandundercurrent.com
Events May 10, 2021 9:00 am Parcel Tax Review Panel
Seeking Public Comment
Seeking Public Comment
Council will be considereing the following Development Variance Permit (DVP) application at: 6:15 pm on Monday, May 10, 2021 at the Regular Council Meeting via Zoom.
Council will be considereing the following Development Variance Permit (DVP) applications at: 6:15 pm on Monday, May 10, 2021 at the Regular Council Meeting via Zoom.
DVP-01-2020 205 Highland Trail
May 10, 2021 6:15 pm
Vary the front lot setback to 6 metres to allow for a deck, and demolish non-permitted stairwell
Regular Council Meeting
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: A Development Variance Permit
application has been submitted for 205 Highland Trail (shown on map) to vary the front lot setback to 6 metres to allow for the completion of a partially constructed deck expansion. The development variance permit will also call for the demolition of a pre-existing nonpermitted stairwell in the road right-of-way along Eaglecliff rd.
All meetings are online via Zoom and
open to the public, unless noted otherwise.
Help slow the spread of COVID-19:
DVP-2021-0020 1160 Ecclestone Road
Vary the lot line setback, adjacent public beach access setback, and public beach access provision.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION: A DVP application has been submitted for 1160 Ecclestone Rd (shown on map) to vary the lot line setback, adjacent public beach access setback, and public beach access provision so as to create a new statutory right-of-way agreement linked to the approval of a proposed private dock that will ensure long-term improved public access to the public beach along the shoreline of the lot.
Stay home if you’re sick
MORE INFORMATION AT MUNICIPAL HALL: The applications may be viewed at Municipal Hall between 8:30 AM and 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday (excluding statutory holidays) or on the municipal website at
www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/planning
Clean your hands frequently 2 m or 6 feet
YOUR COMMENTS ARE WELCOME: Written submissions may be delivered to Municipal Hall:In person, by mail, by fax or by email to bim@bimbc.ca.Submissions may also be made to Mayor and Council at the meeting. For instructions on how to submit comment, go to: www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/council-meetings
MORE INFORMATION AT MUNICIPAL HALL: The applications may be viewed at Municipal Hall between 8:30 AM and 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday (excluding statutory holidays) or on the municipal website at
Questions? Contact Jennifer Pierce, Planner I, by email at jpierce@bimbc.ca or 604-947-4255 x 252.
YOUR COMMENTS ARE WELCOME: Written submissions may be delivered to Municipal Hall:In person, by mail, by fax or by email to bim@bimbc.ca.Submissions may also be made to Mayor and Council at the meeting. For instructions on how to submit comment, go to:
Parcel Tax Review Panel
Keep a safe physical distance
The sitting of the Parcel Tax Review Panel is an opportunity for individuals to appeal the validity of the Parcel Tax Roll on one of the following grounds: a) there is an error or omission respecting a name or address on the parcel tax roll; b) there is an error or omission respecting the inclusion of a parcel; c) there is an error or omission respecting the taxable area or the taxable frontage of a parcel; d) an exemption has been improperly allowed or disallowed.
Wear a mask in indoor public spaces
www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/planning
www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/council-meetings
Questions? Contact Jennifer Pierce, Planner I, by email at jpierce@bimbc.ca or 604-947-4255 x 252.
Hazardous Waste & Paint Recycling Day
The Panel will convene at 9:00 am on May 10, 2021. Individuals who wish to appeal must provide written notice to the Municipality. Register for a vaccine when it’s your turn
www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/news/releases/parcel-tax-review-panel
Contact Bowen Island Municipality PAID ADVERTISEMENT April 29, 2021
Phone: Fax: Email: Website:
604-947-4255 604-947-0193 bim@bimbc.ca
Bowen Island Municipal Hall 981 Artisan Lane Bowen Island, BC V0N 1G2
www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca
Hours: 8:30 am - 4:30 pm Monday to Friday Closed statutory holidays
Saturday, May 1, 2021 9:30 am to 3:00 pm @ BIRD
https://www.bowenwastesolutions.com/
Find us on Facebook Bowen Island Municipality
Subscribe to our mailing list bowenislandmunicipality.ca/subscribe
MUNI MORSELS
Cove Bay parcel tax approved, Community centre lands grow & more The following are briefs from the April 26 regular council meeting:
Ecclestone Beach controversy: Friends of Ecclestone
Public Beach – a community group dedicated to a pocket beach on Miller’s Landing – is proposing a staircase to circumvent private property and allow public access to Ecclestone Beach. They are proposing financing and building the staircase as a group. The proposal comes as owners of a property neighbouring the beach have offered public trail access to the area in exchange for a dock. (It’s complicated – the dock location would be within 10 metres of the abutting road rightof-way, which isn’t allowed under the Land Use Bylaw. So the owners need a development variance permit from the muni to reduce that setback requirement. The owners then need to get permission from the province to allow the dock as the foreshore is provincial land.)
The development variance permit is set to come before council May 10 but the community group is asking for a month’s extension to get their proposal ready. A spate of 11 speakers Monday evening pled against the dock deal. Arguments included necessity of preserving public access to and free use of shorelines; that the public access to the sea arguably already exists (arguing that the decades of accepted access and municipal signs indicating “public path” in recent years establish a common law path dedication); the visual and environmental effects of a 37 metre dock; the privatizing effect of a dock on public space; and that it contravenes the Official Community Plan, Land Use Bylaw and Islands Trust Policy Statement (this is why it needs a DVP). Council didn’t respond to the comments as the DVP is scheduled to be considered at its next meeting.
Property tax late penalty reduced: With property tax sea-
son around the corner BIM is giv-
Thursday, April 29, 2021 • A3
more pay 284.74 multiplied by the number of units; businesses pay $860.84. The tax sees 85 per cent of the debt payment collected from residential tax payers and 15 per cent collected from commercial tax payers – about the same ratio as water use, according to Hayre. Council was generally supportive of what councillors called a “creative solution.” Hayre said that this tax pushes the envelope of what’s allowed for parcel taxes under the Community Charter (provincial legislation all municipalities have to adhere to). “However, we believe that it’s supported by previous court decisions that have extended zoning density, for example, as a physical characteristic of a taxable parcel.” While Hayre said sticking with a flat parcel tax would be the “least controversial” option, it would also be the least equitable. Council passed first, second and third readings of the bylaw. As this is a new tax, BIM created a new parcel tax roll and a parcel tax review panel that will meet May 10 at 9 a.m. to consider complaints and to authenticate the roll.
few other details. The parking situation has also changed, the area in front of the centre becoming a more of a drop-off zone with parking spaces moved to the north. Much of the additional land would be used during building construction as a staging area (for equipment, supplies and vehicles). The proposal was controversial for council. Councillors Sue Ellen Fast and Rob Wynen were adamantly opposed, citing among their concerns: the climate emergency and need to move away from car culture; cutting down trees for a parking lot; and approving major design adjustment without community consultation. Coun. Maureen Nicholson voiced concern that that the land had been earmarked for housing and wanted assurance that lost housing land would be recouped. Coun. David Hocking conveyed that while he’s sensitive to the climate emergency point, Bowen Islanders are spread out and the current situation is we need parking. On the other hand, Coun. Michael Kaile wanted to make sure that the committee had asked for enough space as there’s often a shyness on asking for space. While council approved the land increase (with Wynen and Fast opposed), they didn’t direct staff to make the Land Use Bylaw amendment to formally designate the land as part of the lot.
The community centre lot is set to get bigger:
Council voted to add 1.2 acres to the north of the school-bordering parcel to accommodate building expansion and parking. The building design has grown and changed to accommodate municipal staff, accessibility and a
Focus on Community Economic Development
Gratitude to these volunteers So many volunteers serve our community through municipal initiatives, too many to fit on one page! Many thanks to these volunteers who were missed in the Volunteer Appreciation Week message last week: Cathy Adkin - Beatrice Anderson - Anna-Marie Atherton Lisa Avery - Marian Bantjes - Hal Barber - David Bellringer Ted Benson - Elizabeth Bowker - Elaine Cameron Sarah Cormier - Allie Drake - Effron Esseiva - Filis Fahey Sue Ellen Fast - Sally Fitz-Gibbon - Len Gilday - Jeb Gutelius Jen Harvey - Stef Jones - Jeff Kellner - Roberta Kennard Richard Labonte - Rosemarie Leverton - Gale Lyttle Ainslie Manson - Jae Mather - Suzie McArthur Linnea McCaskill - David McCullum - Melanie McLeod Penny Michael - Heather Miller - Pam Miller - Steve Mitchell Patty Montgomery - Susan Munro - Cynthia Nicolson Rupert Ritchie - Laura Robertson - Susan Sheehan Janet Sims - Greta Smith - Aubin van Berckel Lyn Van Lidth de Jeude - Leslee Wake - Sheila Webster Peter Williamson
The Community Economic Development Plan is well underway, with over 185 survey responses on 12 key topics received. Did you see us around the island, wearing buttons, asking for your ideas ? Have you visited Citizenlab to learn more and provide comments?
To curb the spread of COVID-19, all non-essential travel should be avoided. This includes travel into and out of B.C. We will soon share the dates for five online and between regions of the province. People should not travel to or from Bowen Island for non-essential purposes. workshops, each focusing on one “topic area” needing further discussion. For example: • • •
Stay local and stay in your community Do not travel for a vacation Do not travel to visit friends or family outside of your household or core bubble
What is essential travel? Individual circumstances may affect whether a particular trip is considered essential or non-essential. Essential travel within B.C. includes: • •
Regular travel for work within your region Travel for things like medical appointment and hospital visits
If you need to travel for essential reasons, take the same health and safety precautions you do at home.
These focus groups will be open to the public with limited virtual seats available. You can also comment through Citizenlab at any time. Look for the five short “topic summaries” to be released next week, to focus and stimulate further discussion and comments from islanders. The five topics for the focus groups will be: 1. Health & Wellness 2. Strategic Tourism 3. Food System 4. Knowledge Sector 5. Commercial & Industrial Learn more at https://bowenisland.citizenlab.co
PAID ADVERTISEMENT
BRONWYN BEAIRSTO
Editor@bowenislandundercurrent.com
ing Boweners a break with fines. Council reduced the late penalty to two per cent (instead of the default 10 per cent) for taxes paid after July 2 but before Aug. 31. A further eight per cent penalty is applied after Aug. 31. Cove Bay parcel tax: With the new Cove Bay water treatment plant set to open in coming months, BIM is introducing a new parcel tax for the water system to pay for it. The $9.3 million project saw BIM borrow $2.53 million from the Municipal Finance Authority and $1.15 million internally from the land opportunity reserve fund. The water system has combined yearly instalments of $239,900 to pay the debt. Instead of applying a flat parcel tax across the water system (so each parcel, regardless of business or residential use or number of units within, would pay the same amount), chief financial officer Raj Hayre created a formula to see tax requisition aligned with water use. Instead of a flat rate, the tax will be applied based on “taxable area,” in this case number of units on the parcel (for example, Bowen Court is one parcel of 19 units while Belterra is 30 parcels – each a living unit). Properties with fewer than four units are assumed to be one unit. The calculation is: residential properties with fewer than four units pay $271.27; residential properties with four units or
bowenislandundercurrent.com
A4 • Thursday, April 29, 2021
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VIEWPOINTS
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Thank you from Teun Schut and family
DEAR EDITOR: Thank you Bowen Island! Twenty years ago Marianne, Roos, Lisa, and I came from Holland and chose Bowen to start our new life. We loved Bowen right away – the strong sense of community and the incredible natural beauty of this island. These last few weeks since my cancer diagnosis, experiencing the unbelievable support and love coming our way, we feel even more a part of this wonderful community. And on
a practical note, with our income drastically reduced, the incredibly generous financial help we have received from so many of you has freed us from worrying about being able to pay the bills on top of my health. You can’t imagine what a huge relief this is for us. So thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! We feel so blessed and grateful to be here and to be a part of Bowen Island, thanks to you. Teun, Marianne, Roos, and Lisa
Thank you to the anonymous stamp donor
DEAR EDITOR: I recently received a, very much appreciated, donation of used stamps from a resident of Bowen Island. The collection of used stamps is a fundraising project on behalf of Save the Children Fund. The packet, unfortunately, did not show a sender’s name and address. I would appreciate, if it possible, being able to send a thank you through the Undercurrent.
The money raised from the sale of stamps is used to fund a number of much-needed ongoing projects in many parts of the world. The residents of Bowen Island have supported this project for many years and their donations are always gratefully received. Thank you for your assistance, Doreen Rowe
Checking in at the Bowen Island Food Bank
“Now we are back to pantry-style we are back to our usual usage, which right now is medium to high fluctuating,” says Sue Clarke. “There’s always plenty of food - well stocked shelves and also fresh and frozen items. The shelves are restocked daily. “It is working well on the self-serve 24/7 anonymous basis.” For anyone who have no transport or who don’t leave their home, they can call Clarke at 604-947-2364 and the food bank will deliver while protecting anonymity. “The Food Bank is also in a good position financially thanks to local generosity.”
Mother’s Day
HAIG FARRIS PHOTO
“The so-called pink moon over South Bowen April 26,” from Haig Farris.
Next week is our Mom jokes edition in honour of Mother’s Day. Send in your Mom’s best jokes (or just a fun story about her) before Tuesday at 5 p.m. to editor@bowenislandundercurrent.com.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
We should all follow Ela and Hadley’s example DEAR EDITOR: I am most impressed by the community spirit shown by Ela and Hadley by their endevours to pick up beer and pop cans across the island. As one who frequently picks up cans on Cowan Point Road, I wish to commend the volunteer work of these girls. Not only is tossing of cans from car
THE WRITE STUFF. The Undercurrent encourages reader participation in your community newspaper. You must include your full name and a daytime phone number (for verification only). The editor reserves the right to edit for clarity, legality, brevity and taste. Please limit to under 500 words. HERE’S HOW: To submit a letter to the editor, fax 604-947-0148 or mail it to #102, 495 Government Rd., PO Box 130, Bowen Island, BC V0N 1G0 or email editor@bowenislandundercurrent.com. All Advertising and news copy content are copyright of the Undercurrent Newspaper. All editorial content submitted to the Undercurrent becomes the property of the publication. The Undercurrent is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, art work and photographs.
#102–495 Bowen Trunk Road, PO Box 130, Bowen Island BC, V0N 1G0 Phone: 604.947.2442 Fax: 604.947.0148 bowenislandundercurrent.com DEADLINE for advertising Monday, 4 p.m. DEADLINE for editorial Tuesday 5 p.m. Bowen Island Undercurrent Subscription Rates: Mailed 1 year subscription on Bowen Island: $55, including GST. Within Canada: $85 including GST Newsstand (Single Copy) $1.50 per copy, including GST
ISSN 7819-5040
windows littering, it’s evidence of a troubling pattern of drinking and driving by those responsible. Come on folks, we as an island community are better than this. Show some pride and follow the example of Ela and Hadley. Soren Hammerberg Past Chair, B.I. Community Foundation
National NewsMedia Council.
EDITOR Bronwyn Beairsto editor@bowenisland undercurrent.com
ADVERTISING Tracey Wait ads@bowenisland undercurrent.com
CARTOONIST Ron Woodall
PUBLISHER Peter Kvarnstrom publisher@bowenisland undercurrent.com 2011 CCNA
CANADIAN COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER AWARD 2011
SPECIAL THANK-YOU Audrey Grescoe
The Undercurrent is a member of the National NewsMedia Council of Canada, which is an independent organization established to deal with acceptable journalistic practices and ethical behaviour. If you have concerns about editorial content, please email editor@bowenislandundercurrent. com or call 604-947-2442. If you are not satisfied with the response and wish to file a formal complaint, visit the website at mediacouncil.ca or call toll-free 1-844-877-1163 for additional information.
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Stairway to Ecclestone: a proposal
DEAR EDITOR: Background to an unacceptable offer The private property owners at 1160 Ecclestone have offered the neighbourhood a short, nine-metre-long pathway across the bottom of their property to the public beach (one we arguably already have) in exchange for an oversized 37-metre dock. None of the sitings of this proposed dock conform to the 10-metre required setback from a public road right of way leading to a public beach as per Bowen’s Land Use Bylaw, amended in 2018 to further protect Bowen Island’s foreshore. Much of the proposed dock is set back only half the legally required distance. Thus, the property owners of 1160 Ecclestone have no option but to apply to Bowen Island Municipality for a variance permit. But, the question arises – is this the way we, as a community, want to manage our precious coastline? By first enacting legislation that strengthens beach protection and then, on a case by case basis, incrementally eroding these protections by granting such variances? For five years, the Friends of Ecclestone Public Beach have worked to try and restore access to this south-facing, low-bank, family-friendly pocket beach – the only such beach existing on the east shore of Deep Bay. Our neighbourhood continues to say absolutely no to this proposed trade-off – a pathway to a beach whose natural and aesthetic values will be forever ruined by the existence of a huge private dock. As part of their pitch, the private property owners are trying to assure the public that we’ll be able to bypass this proposed six-foot high dock to get to the remaining beach. There are many families in our neighbourhood with small children who live within walking distance to this precious beach and who have all passionately expressed their keen desire to once again use this beach. However, it would be in the shadow of this private dock. Such a structure will forever overshadow, divide and degrade this beach and diminish the public’s right to full enjoyment of our beach. But, the fabulous news is that our neighbourhood has in development plans for a public staircase from the right-of-way to the beach as an alternative to this unacceptable offer. Our solution Our neighbourhood has in the works an exciting new access option – a metal staircase from the right-of-way to the beach. This legal and safe staircase means we don’t need the pathway in exchange for the dock. To realize this plan, the “Friends” have retained the services of a structural engineer, Mr. Lindsey Tourand to prepare a fea-
Shorelines need protection, not docks
sibility report and technical drawings. On April 15, Mr. Tourand paid a site visit to Ecclestone rightof-way accompanied by a group of neighbours ranging in age from two to over 70. Mr. Tourand has advised us that constructing a metal staircase commencing on the public right-of-way and terminating on the public beach is structurally feasible and doable. This metal staircase will be affixed to the rock at the roadway level and below on the beach. He estimates that the 30-foot span will be divided into approximately 28 stairs and have a metal guard rail on the ocean side of the staircase from top to bottom. Mr. Tourand expects to have feasibility report completed in about mid-May. The “Friends” have also retained Mr. Tourand to create fully engineered technical plans for the stairs that next will be sent to a geoengineer. The plans then will be peer reviewed by a member of the Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia, after which they’ll be “stamped.” The “Friends” will also retain the services of a skilled contractor with an expertise in working with graded rock surfaces and the installation of steel fabrication to prepare a budget for the manufacture and installation of this staircase. For the past five years, we’ve repeatedly requested cooperation from BIM to help our neighbourhood regain legal public access and help preserve our beautiful beach – sadly, to no avail. Now, as a neighbourhood, we’ve made a commitment to find a solution that doesn’t entail sacrificing the beach to private interests. We have informed BIM and council that our neighbourhood is committed to fully funding this project from concept to staircase installation. And throughout this process, we’re committed to working collaboratively with the muni with full transparency, submitting all plans and, at the appropriate times, applying for all the required permits. In order for these various professionals to prepare their reports, drawings and budget estimates, at the April 26 council meeting, the Friends of Ecclestone Public Beach have requested a onemonth extension beyond May 10, at least to the June 14 meeting before council makes a final decision on the variance application. The creation and implementation of this public staircase is an inestimably superior plan to the private property owners’ unacceptable offer to our neighbourhood of a pathway across their property in exchange for a huge private dock on our beach. Gillian Darling On behalf of The Friends of Ecclestone Public Beach
DEAR EDITOR: The Ecclestone dock proposal is back before council. To their credit, the proponents have addressed concerns regarding historical encroachments on the public right-of-way and the heartfelt affection of neighbours for Ecclestone beach. For our municipal council, which has little appetite for sorting out historical encroachments, the proposal provides an easy “out.” But it is not this dock that is problematic but rather most docks. The Deep Cove, North Vancouver waterfront is illustrative of the sad result when each property has its own dock thereby transforming a beautiful coast into an impenetrable barrier of docks. At the March 8 council meeting, Bowen’s Parks, Trails, and Greenways Advisory Committee recommended that Council take action to protect Bowen’s coastal areas. Council members were reluctant to accept the recommendation or acknowledge that we too are at risk for losing our undisturbed coastlines. I believe that it is our privilege to live in such an environment, so close to a major urban centre, and it is our responsibility to protect it. When I first lived in Howe Sound in the 1970s, there were no whales or dolphins here. Britannia copper mine, Port Mellon mill and Woodfibre pulp and paper were pouring industrial waste into the fjord, devastat-
ing fish and mammal populations. Competing interests continue today between economic and public trust – pending BURNCO gravel mine at McNab Creek and Woodfibre LNG stand in contrast to the UNESCO Biosphere application. We who share the waterfront can be the host or the demise of the marine food web that connects zooplankton, eelgrass and kelp to a host of incubators and predators, salmon, sided dolphins, orcas, sealions and porpoises. Neither our province nor the municipality have a conservation plan for our fragile coastlines. The proponents will likely get their dock permit but that doesn’t mean success: what the applicants’ letter refers to as a “low grade” beach may be vulnerable intertidal spawning grounds for surf smelt and sand lance, both important to the diet of endangered species of fish and mammals. Howe Sound is healing today due to determined citizens, scientists, recreational and government agencies who continue to work towards recovery. A new vision of Átl’ḵa7tsem salutes the respectful and sustainable theory of resource use by First Nations. Our marine ecosystem, still critically at-risk, is only protected if each of us takes personal responsibility to make conservation-minded choices and hold public officials – and each other – accountable. Betty Morton
Dock is not a compromise
DEAR EDITOR: I would like to comment on your coverage of the April 12 meeting of the Bowen Island Council. The “compromise” regarding a private dock at Ecclestone Beach doesn’t seem to really be a compromise. The proposed dock has not yet been approved and the chance of it being approved should be non-existent, given the illegal aspects of such a structure in that location or at any other public beach location around Bowen for that matter. My family and I have been resi-
NEW LISTING
808 VALHALLA
Thursday, April 29, 2021 • A5
dents on Miller Road for the past 20 years and our daughter has grown up in this neighbourhood and values Ecclestone Beach highly. The intrusion of a very large dock would be an affront to all of Bowen’s ecological regulations and a gross intrusion on the neighbourhood users of the public right of way to a designated public beach. We are strongly opposed to this proposed dock and urge mayor and council to turn down the application. Andrew Todd
$1,900,000
The view from Valhalla is one of Bowen’s finest, and this property’s view is no exception. This gorgeous home sits on a largely flat half acre, with French doors that open out on to a rock bluff that soaks up the sun and the sights, with outstanding views across Howe Sound and Vancouver to Mt Baker and beyond. Even the summertime fireworks in English Bay can be seen from the comfort of your own living room. Experience exceptional quality and craftsmanship, with fine touches throughout and topped off with a wooden compass inlayed into the floor. Also includes a two car garage with storage options below. Just a five minute drive to Snug Cove.
FRAZER ELLIOTT Realtor®
604.910.3401
Specializing in BOWEN ISLAND and HOWE SOUND
felliottbowen@gmail.com | bowenhomes.ca Top 10% of Realtors in the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver
2020
bowenislandundercurrent.com
LETTER
Please ban non-essential travel across the entire ferry system
The following is an open letter addressed to provincial health officer Bonnie Henry and B.C. health minister Adrian Dix and B.C. solicitor general Mike Farnworth and shared with the Undercurrent. Dear Dr. Henry and Honourable Ministers: I live on Bowen Island and have some concerns about the recent travel restrictions. First, I would like to congratulate all of you, and particularly Dr. Henry, for leading British Columbians in a thoughtful measured way throughout the difficulties of the last 14 months. I acknowledge how challenging your job is - trying to walk a fine balance between protecting the public from the ravages of COVID 19 and not unduly harming the economy of our province or people’s lives. My concern is related to ferry transportation and I have a suggestion. Everyone who wishes to visit an area of British Columbia that is accessible only by ferry must pass through a booth at the terminal, whether on foot or in a car. My suggestion is that you pass a public health order that will allow only those who are travelling for essential reasons to travel on the ferry system. This would ensure people are asked at the ferry terminal before being allowed to board a ferry. Obviously, as is the case with the overall travel restrictions, some people may not tell the truth but I believe posing the question is a deterrent to many who might otherwise come. Bowen Island has an onslaught of tourists every summer, from May onwards – even more so now with the travel restrictions preventing people from visiting other parts of our province. I am not personally concerned as I have been vaccinated and I can choose to stay home and be as isolated as I want. I am concerned for our hardworking retail workers who have kept out stores open throughout this pandemic, and have provided us with much needed access to our groceries and pharmaceutical needs on island. Especially now with new variants with a greater likelihood of transmission, it is becoming much scarier to be a front line worker, faced with tourists who are coming from elsewhere in the two health regions and visiting our few stores. Please consider this request - to help protect our island and others. It makes no sense that I cannot visit Saltspring Island (in VIHA) while anyone in Fraser Health or VCHA can visit Bowen Island. And it is an easy fix because we have the ferry terminal staff to pose the question. Thank you for considering this and thank you very much for all you are doing to keep us safe. Nerys Poole
BOWEN NATURE CLUB
Protecting Bowen shores protects sea life
Importance of Coastal Forest Habitat
BOWEN ISLAND UNITED CHURCH Now offering a youtube channel of reflections and hymn/songs with Reverend Lorraine Ashdown and Lynn Williams. youtubewatch?v=tejV7Y6jo
Queen of Capilano Ferry Schedule October 13 to May 15 2021 DEPART BOWEN ISLAND DEPART HORSESHOE BAY
FOOD BANK DROP-OFF
ST. GERARD’S ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH Masses are live streamed everyday. Times posted at holyrosarycathedral.org Contact Angela Powell 604-947-2515
www.cateshillchapel.com 604-947-4260 (661 Carter Rd.)
Now offering worship services via Zoom. A link available on website.
Pastor: Phil Adkins
at one of Bowen’s beaches, by kayaking along our shores or when you approach Bowen by ferry. If you’d like to learn more about Bowen’s shores, check out the Bowen Nature Club’s Discovering Life on Bowen Island’s BeachesSelf-Guided Activities guide. This activity guide is designed to help you and your friends and family discover the many intriguing life forms that make Bowen’s beaches their home with information and hands on activity descriptions (does anyone want to visit the “Cobblestone Hotel” perhaps?). Go to the Bowen Nature Club’s website bowennatureclub.blogspot. com or Facebook page facebook. com/bowennatureclub to find out more.
Wow – did you see folks pointing to that sea lion or orca the other day? Walk along Bowen’s shores and you’ll encounter everything from rocky headlands to cobble shores to sand and gravel beaches and if you are lucky, see those iconic animals. However, we have cause for concern that the habitat that supports them may be in trouble. No matter what type of Bowen shore, increasingly, we see removal of shoreline native plants and trees as well as the addition of seawalls, riprap and docks (shoreline “structures”) altering our natural shorelines and their function. Ecological understanding of these alterations to the shoreline has changed. Long viewed that these changes to shorelines are relatively benign, current Reduces Impact of Precipitation Vegetation slows descent of rainfall, reducing speed of Evapotranspiration Dries the Soil science shows that strucsurface runoff As trees and shrubs breathe and photosynthesize, they tures can change wave draw in soil moisture and release large amounts of water vapor through their leaves, increasing soil stability. dynamics and prevent the beach nourishment Wildlife Habitat Trees and dead snags provide nesting and Soil by changing natural sedroosting habitat for many species of sea birds. iment flow. Together Shade/Microclimate Overhanging branches near Important Salmon Comfort and Safety Infiltration with removal of native beaches create an ideal shaded Food Source Vegetation shelters homes Vegetation and roots, Diving environment for spawning trees, shrubs and vegetaWind-blown insects from from strong winds, reincrease water seeping forage fish eggs. Ducks seaside forests can duces probability of into soil, recharging tion just above the high Huge winter account for up to half of shoreline erosion. groundwater. flocks come to the stomach contents of Slope tide line result in habfeed on juvenile chum and Stability abundant Chinook salmon. itat loss for clams and mussels A matrix of roots holds soil and absorbs rainwater, reother shellfish, as well ducing erosion and slump- Food Source for Filter as insects, worms, and ing. Feeders amphipods that feed forEach autumn tonnes of leaves fall Waves pulverize leaves into fine particles onto shorelines and shallows —food for nearshore clams and mussels. age fish and young salmalong Bowen’s shores. on. These forage fish and WILL HUSBY GRAPHIC salmon ultimately feed Removing shoreline plants and trees and adding shoreline structures can alter natural those animals at top shorelines and their functions, says DG Blair.
Places of Worship Welcome You
CATES HILL CHAPEL
of the food chain. From insects to orcas – what we do on our shores does impact the orcas and other animals in the marine food chain. So, what can we do to keep our shorelines healthy? Keep our shorelines natural: prune for better views but don’t clear-cut. Keeping native vegetation will allow roots, shrubs, and trees to act like rebar holding together soils preventing erosion and protecting habitat. If shoreline protection is needed, use a “nature-based” solution rather than hard armour like riprap or a seawall. Studies show that this approach can be as effective as hard armour. Appreciate Bowen’s shoreline as an amazing greenway that we all can enjoy whether by spending time
DG BLAIR
Bowen Nature Club
Will Husby
A6 • Thursday, April 29, 2021
5:20 am except Sundays 6:20 am 7:30 am 8:35 am 9:40 am 10:50 am 12:00 pm 1:10 pm 2:55 pm 4:00 pm except Wednesdays 5:10 pm 6:15 pm 7:25 pm Mon Wed Th Fri 7:26 pm Tue Sun 8:30 pm 9:30 pm 10:30 pm
5:50 am 6:50 am 8:00 am 9:05 am except Wednesdays 10:15 am 11:25 am 12:35 pm 2:20 pm 3:30 pm 4:35 pm 5:45 pm 6:50 pm 8:00 pm except Saturdays 9:00 pm 10:00 pm
Note: Schedules subject to change without notice: Please check BCFERRIES.COM Schedule changes on statutory holidays
bowenislandundercurrent.com
$575 FINE FOR BREAKING ORDERS CONTINUED FROM P. 1
So far, however, enforcement of those recommendations is being left up to people’s consciences. Neither West Vancouver police nor the RCMP are doing any checks. People caught breaking the public health orders may be subject to a $575 fine.
NO TAP FORMS FOR VACCINES
No, travel assistance program (TAP) forms cannot be used for vaccine trips. Vancouver Coastal Health confirmed Tuesday that TAP isn’t available for those accessing vaccinations. As of deadline, the Ministry of Health hadn’t yet clarified if they can be used for travel for COVID-19 testing.
PHARMACY OUT OF AZ VACCINE
Cates Medicine Centre is out of AstraZeneca. The province’s announced last week that it is running low on the pharmacy-administered AstraZeneca vaccine and would be redirecting remaining doses to hotspot communities. Cates Pharmacy administered the last of its 300 doses Wednesday morning, said owner Shahzad Mirsaeidi. “We don’t know when we are going to get [another] batch, if any,” said Mirsaeidi. “We have no news from the government so far.” Some Bowen Islanders who had appointments booked this week and next had their vaccinations cancelled. B.C. opened the AstraZeneca vaccine eligibility to those 30 and over Tuesday.
NO MORE BOWEN CLINIC DAYS Boweners eligible for the Vancouver Coastal Healthadministered Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are still being directed to the mainland as no more island clinic days are listed on the VCH website. According to the province as of Tuesday, appointments were being booked for those 59 and over.
WherReK
Thursday, April 29, 2021 • A7
For one week only:Wayfinders II at the Hearth
Exhibit: May 5 to May 10 at the Hearth. Gallery hours 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Monday. Blink and you’ll miss it. Wayfinders II, something of a sequel to a 2016 exhibit by local artists Coral Louie, Jane Dunfield, Diane Buchanan and Reidun van Kerval, is coming to the Hearth Gallery for one week. The four women did Wayfinders I at the old Gallery together and enjoyed it so much that they now meet regularly, checking out what everyone’s working on and cheering one another on, says Louie. “It’s great for encouraging and finding inspiration from people who share a lot of history.” A sudden need for an interim show at the Hearth Gallery over the week of May 5 saw the arts organization get in touch with Buchanan just a couple of weeks ago. The women have been tentatively planning an outdoor show later this year and figured this impromptu show could be a good dry run. “The ancient art of wayfinding enabled early travelers to navigate uncharted waters and unmarked routes,” reads the artists’ statement. “We are all modern-day wayfinders, using creativity, shared knowledge and imagination to help find our way.” While the show is shared, Buchanan has been particularly productive of late, and will likely have more featured pieces. “The last while with my paintings, I’ve been working on the idea of impermanence,” says Buchanan. “I lost my partner about 11 years ago and then my brother and a whole bunch of friends and I started to realize, ‘yeah, this is gonna happen,’” she says. Buchanan started painting more surreal abstraction. As a Buddhist, Buchanan is embracing the point of view that we’re all particles – part of the universe. “We’re just a tiny speck and then when we die, we just become a speck somewhere else and there’s no time and there’s no footholds.” Buchanan’s got a lot of work and she’s trying to narrow it down for the show. “I’ve been painting like a fiend with COVID,” she laughs. “My garden’s tripled in size and I’ve got paintings everywhere.” COVID has seen its own difficulties for Buchanan, includ-
O W u o Y Makes a Difference
ing her aunt’s death, but the work has a more hopeful outlook. “Even though there’s been a lot about deaths and COVID, the work is very cheerful,” she says. “When I look at what it is, I think it’s very positive.” (After the women chose the name Wayfinders in 2016, they realised that fellow Bowen Islander Wade Davis had coincidentally written the 2009 book The Wayfinders. Louie saw Davis at the post office. “He just laughed. No, he thought it was a good name,” relays Buchanan.)
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A8 • Thursday, April 29, 2021
bowenislandundercurrent.com
Meet the Health Centre Foundation’s new members SANDRA GUARASCIO, GORDON ORLIKOW AND GREG SHEPHERD JOIN THE BICF BOARD
TIM RHODES
Bowen Island Health Centre Foundation
This is a busy time for the Bowen Island Health Centre Foundation as we work with the municipality to get final permitting to start construction on the health centre, and advance the serious work of building our operating organization and team. We recently added key bench strength to our volunteer BIHCF board with three new members who bring an impressive mix of experience and skills to support our transition to full operation. Sandra Guarascio is a partner at Roper Greyell LLP, where she practises in all areas of employment and labour law. She is a volunteer with Continuing Legal Education, serving as co-chair of the CLE Human Rights Conference. Sandra has lived on Bowen for four years and assisted several island organizations with legal advice on a pro bono basis. Gordon Orlikow is a senior partner at Korn Ferry, a global human resources consulting firm. Outside of his professional life, Gordon is deeply immersed in sport and is currently active in the Canadian Olympic Committee and the World Athletics Federation. Resident on Bowen since 2010, he has been involved locally supporting the Municipal Council and staff and with the Bowen Community Foundation. Greg Shepherd is CEO of Pharmasave (Western Canada) and a former board chair and past president of the BC
PHOTO COURTESY OF B.I. HEALTH CENTRE FOUNDATION
Gordon Orlikow, Greg Shepherd, Brady (not a member of the board) and Sandra Guarascio
Pharmacy Association. As a volunteer with International Health Service, he served on a multidisciplinary medical team that delivered health care to impoverished communities in Honduras. Greg is a newcomer to Bowen and looks forward to giving back to the community through his work with BIHCF. Our board has also seen two departures. Sue McIntyre and Ken McArthur recently stepped down after providing invaluable guidance and leadership at the board and committee level for the past several years. Our foundation – and the community – owe a debt of thanks to Sue and Ken for their passionate commitment and contributions to our success. Ken is staying on as a member of the facilities committee where we will continue to benefit from his counsel. As we look forward to starting construction on the health centre, we are in the final round of interviews to select a construction management firm. At the same time, there is much to be done creating what will happen inside. This includes recruiting our health care team and support staff, negotiating tenant agreements, formalizing funding and
support relationships with health care authorities, expanding community partnerships, establishing the right policies and procedures for a collaborative team culture, setting an operating budget, and more. To take the lead on these time-consuming and complex tasks, we are close to hiring our first full-time employee – an executive director. Their job for the next two years will be to ensure we have a strong team in place to hit the ground running when we open and a sustainable organization that will be here to serve the community for decades to come. Following an excellent response from a number of interested applicants, we have narrowed the field down to several highly qualified candidates for the executive director position. We look forward to introducing this new point person for your health centre in the near future. We aim to make Bowen’s health centre a model for community-based care, and we need your support to help make that happen. If you haven’t already, please visit bowenhealthcentre.com/donate-now/, make your donation, and help bring healthcare close to home for everyone on Bowen.
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ROTARY CLUB
Helping create a peaceful world WHAT ARE ROTARY PEACE FELLOWS?
BAWN CAMPBELL
Rotary Club of Bowen Island
These are strange times: locked down and in our limited bubbles. Perhaps it is the opportunity to define what is really important in our own lives, to define a world we want to live in or to find contentment with who we aspire to be. Perhaps that aspiration is to help create a more peaceful world. If that is the case, read on. I’ve been encouraged to write an article to publish the many opportunities to get involved with Rotary International and its peace and conflict resolution education programs. The idea is to find individuals whose passion it is to help move the world towards a more peaceful way to resolve conflict and to have you help to identify and encourage those individuals to pursue a fully funded course of education (see rotary.org/en/ our-programs/peace-fellowships). The preamble to the constitution of UNESCO declares that “since wars begin in the minds of [people], it is in the minds of [people] that the defenses of peace must be constructed.” In 1945, UNESCO was created in order to respond to the firm belief of nations, forged by two world wars in less than a generation that political and economic agreements are not enough to build a lasting peace. Peace must be established on the basis of humanity’s moral and intellec-
tual solidarity.” Rotary is a global network of 1.2 million neighbours, friends, leaders, and problem-solvers who see a world where people unite and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves. With the vision of creating sustainable peace through addressing the root causes of conflict, Rotary Peace Fellows participate in a rigorous program of academic study and practical training. Each year, Rotary provides 130 fellows the opportunity to earn a master’s degree or post-graduate diploma in peace and development studies at one of eight Rotary Peace Centers, located at leading universities around the world. Launched in 2002, Rotary Peace Centers have trained more than 1,400 individuals for careers in peacebuilding in more than 115 countries and program alumni serve as leaders in both governmental and nongovernmental agencies, international organizations and more. Personally, I have met or listen to many of the graduates from these programs. It is what persuaded me to become a member of Rotary. The Rotary Club of Bowen Island invites those interested in learning more about the Rotary Peace Fellowship program to check out the Bowen Rotary website at bowenrotary.com/rotary-peace-fellowships/ to find further information and links or to contact: Bawn@bowencampbell.com with the subject line Peace Fellowships.
Thursday, April 29, 2021 • A9
fundance film festival An online film festival event like no other is happening on
Friday, April 30th | 7pm and you can be part of it!
Be entertained by the brilliant, bizarre, and touching films created out of the minds and talents of thirty highly imaginative middle school students
islandpacific.org/events
5 original student films! Red carpet premiere! Q&A with directors! Hilarious bloopers! by donation
Don’t dump and run GUIDELINES FOR DROPPING OFF ITEMS AT THE KNICK KNACK NOOK
CATHY BAYLY
Knick Knack Nook
Would you buy these dressers? How about six bags filled with dirty clothing and broken items? The volunteers at the Knick Knack Nook are dedicated to keeping items out of the landfill but we have our limits. It is discouraging to have to deal with items that clearly cannot be sold. Here are some guidelines to assist you with decision-making when it comes to dropping off items: 1. Do not dump and run. If your items did not sell at your garage sale it is unlikely they will sell at the Nook. We should not have to be responsible for your leftovers. 2. If you are moving and anticipate many boxes of donations please do not leave things to the last moment. Bring over a few boxes at a time so that we have the time and space to deal with them. 3. We are not a repair shop. Please donate items that work and clothing that is good condition. Please do not bring us your laundry or dirty dishes. We do not have a wash-
Patient of the Week
These dressers are an example of items disposed of at the Knick Knack Nook and unlikely to be sold.
ing machine or dishwasher and dirty items do not sell no matter how lovely they are. 4. Please only bring clothing that is in season. We gratefully accept: clothing in season (clean and in good condition), arts and craft supplies, small household items in working condition, hardware, bedding, books, stationary, toys, garden equipment, sporting goods in season. Check our website - knickknacknook.org - to find out what we do not accept and where you can take surplus items. The Nook provides a community service that encourages environmental and social responsibility through the sale of used items in good condition. The profit from the sale of these items supports many island organizations and students. We thank everyone who continues to shop and donate usable items even with our reduced hours.
KICK Kick is a pocket-sized Formosan Mountain Dog Mix who was rescued from Taiwan. She recently came to see us for
REGULAR HOURS Tuesday to Friday 9- 5 Saturday 9- 1 Closed Sunday and Monday
some skin irritation on the tip of her ear. Kick is a very active little girl so we want to make sure she stays in the great health and shape that’s she’s in!
To schedule appointments, please call
604.947.9247
or email reception@bowenvet.com
A10 • Thursday, April 29, 2021
bowenislandundercurrent.com
CLEANUP BEAT
In honour of Earth Day
Liliana Segal of Green Chair Recycling organized a cleanup in the Cove in honour of Earth Day last weekend. Twenty-two people scoured Bowen’s business district grabbing up everything from cigarettes butts to beer cans. It a bittersweet twist for Liliana, this was Green Chair Dog Rumba’s last clean up as the beloved dog died Monday. “She has been in hundreds of cleanups all over Metro Vancouver, not only in beautiful places like parks and beaches but went with our team also to areas where no one goes to clean: train trails, industrial areas etc,” wrote Liliana. “She brought lots of smiles to thousands of volunteers that came to help us since the beginning of Green Chair 12 years ago.” Next weekend, May 1, Liliana will be at the school to hand out cleaning implements between 4 and 6 p.m., this time in honour of Rumba. “Every week we will be honouring something or someone else and I encourage the community to let us know what we should be dedicating the cleanups to honour and celebrate.” “We are committing every week to do a community cleanup for the next few months, and we are encouraging everyone to join us in a socially distant manner or to do cleanups around their neighbourhood, streets and ditches. Everything counts, even a 10-minute cleanup, our wildlife will thank us!”
To connect with Green Chair or request a quote for a residential or site clean-up, please email operations@gogreenchair.com or call 604-806-0680. (The number was misprinted in last week’s Undercurrent.)
PHOTOS COURTESY OF LILIANA SEGAL
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Non-essential travel order does not apply to (Government of B.C. list): • carrying out a work-related purpose, including volunteer work; • moving to a different principal residence or assisting a person to move for that purpose; commercially • transporting goods; receiving health-care services or • social services or assisting someone to receive those services; • attending court; complying with a court order; • • spending parenting time with a minor child; • accessing child care; attending classes or receiving • training at a post-secondary institution or school; • responding to an emergency or a critical incident, including incidents that involve search and rescue operations; • providing care or assistance to a person who requires care or assistance because of: • a psychological, behavioural or health condition; or a physical, cognitive or mental • impairment. • visiting by an essential visitor as provided in the guidance of the Ministry of Health set out in a document titled Ministry of Health - Overview of Visitors in Long-Term Care and Seniors’ Assisted Living that was in effect on April 1, 2021; • attending a funeral service; • travelling under the authority of a variance of an order issued by the provincial health officer under the Public Health Act if the variance was made before this section comes into force; • travelling by residents of the local health areas of Bella Coola Valley or Central Coast to Port Hardy to obtain essential goods and supplies; • travelling by residents of the local health area of Hope to Chilliwack to obtain essential goods and supplies; • travelling by residents of the Nisga’a Health Authority region into the Northern-Interior Health Authority region; and/or • returning to one’s own principal residence.
bowenislandundercurrent.com
Thursday, April 29, 2021 • A11
Emergency preparedness: Bowen be ready for anything
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS WEEK 2021 IS MAY 2 TO 8
CAROLYN MCDONALD
Bowen Island Emergency Suport Services director
Natural disasters may be beyond our control, but there are ways to reduce the risk and the impact of whatever emergency we might face - whether natural or human-induced. Emergency Preparedness Week (May 2 to 8, 2021) encourages Canadians to take concrete actions to be better prepared to protect themselves and their families during emergencies. This special week is a national effort of provincial and territorial emergency management organizations, and Public Safety Canada. By taking a few simple steps, you can become better prepared to face a range of emergencies – anytime, anywhere. It is important to: • Know the risks: Although the consequences of disasters can be similar, know-
• •
•
•
ing the risks specific to our community and our region can help you better prepare. Make a plan: It will help you and your family know what to do. Get an emergency kit: During an emergency, we will all need some basic supplies. We may need to get by without power or tap water. Be prepared to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours in an emergency. Sign up for BowENS Emergency Notification System: It is easy and can be done from your mobile phone, tablet, or computer. In the event of a local emergency, social media and BowENS will play a key role in communicating information and instructions to the community. Become a volunteer:
PHOTO COURTESY OF CAROLYN MCDONALD
Makayla and Sophia Toews and Dora, the Border Collie. “Ready for Anything” with their 72 Hour emergency backpacks.
Throughout the year, Bowens Emergency Support Services (ESS) volunteers train and prepare so that when an emergency or disaster affects our community they are ready to help. If you interested in becoming an ESS volunteer, the Bowen Island ESS Team would like to hear from you. Visit www.bowenislandmunicipality.ca/emergency-program or www.getprepared.ca for more
resources to help you and your family prepare for all types of emergencies. This year, the COVID-19 global pandemic continues to have unprecedented impact on Canadians. While governments at all levels are working hard to keep Canada safe; now, more than ever, we understand that we all have a role to play in emergency preparedness. You can help to protect yourself, and others, against COVID-19 by staying informed. We encourage all Canadians to
visit Canada.ca/coronavirus for the latest information on the response to COVID-19 and more tips on how to continue to help prevent the spread. This week, I encourage you to take concrete actions to be better prepared. Please do your part. Experience has shown that individual preparedness goes a long way to help people cope better - both during and after a major disaster. Get an emergency kit now - it can make a world of difference. Please be ready for anything.
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A12 • Thursday, April 29, 2021
bowenislandundercurrent.com
Making Higher Ground STRAIGHTUP SEVENHILLS’ FIRST EP COMES OUT MAY 7 BRONWYN BEAIRSTO
Editor
Jon Siddall had barely unpacked upon moving to Seven Hills in October 2015 when neighbours Chris Barnett and Tobyn Ross came knocking. They had heard Jon was a musician – and a now-retired CBC music producer – and they wanted to play. The three hit it off. What started off as just fun – jamming, playing songs – before long got a little more serious and the trio decided they wanted to form a band. Sticking hyper local, they realized another neighbour within a minute’s walk, Mike McKoryk, is a bass player and after some cajoling, McKoryk agreed to join the crew. And so was born Straightup Sevenhills, the four neighbours and geographical deviant Pete Robinson – also of Ginger 66 and Black Molly fame – who lives on Cates Hill. Starting in about 2017, Straightup Sevenhills had audiences dancing nights away at the Pub or the Legion. But, since the pandemic began, the band’s only audience has been, ironically, Robinson’s Cates Hill neighbours as the crew practiced distanced on his deck. Along the way, the band started recording their first EP. “With the exception of me, the other guys in the band are really incredible handymen,” says Siddall. Barnett came up with an inven-
tion they called the anti-covid chamber. About the size of a shower stall, the box covered in heavy fabric was a recording booth – just big enough to play a guitar, saxophone, sing – set just inside a doorway. One at a time, the men would go into the anti-covid chamber and play their part. “It was a pain to have to do that every time,” says Siddall. “But we got it done.” They finished in about January. The band released the lead single – “Pond Dreamer” – and its lyric video in the last week and the seven-song EP, Higher Ground, will come out May 7. “Most of the songs would be new to people,” says Siddall. “I think people got used to hearing us at the Pub or the Legion and we played more party songs, kind of dancing songs. “I think with the pandemic and everything, we shifted a little bit in the songs that we’ve been writing during this time,” he says. “A little more introspective.” “We were keen to get it out during the pandemic because it felt like music that you might want to listen to during this time.” While members wrote some songs before the pandemic, most were written in the last year. They may not all address the crisis directly, but the moods of the past year have affected the music. “There’s a certain alchemy that’s involved in a band coming together. We’re talking
PETER ROBINSON PHOTO
Band members Mike McKoryk, Tobyn Ross, Jon Siddall, Chris Barnett live within one minute of one another in Seven Hills. Pete Robinson lives on Cates Hill.
about five individual people who each bring something,” says Sidall. “Musically, but also as a person.” “You hope that the hour that results from this alchemy is something that – what is the expression – is greater than sum of its parts. That something even better emerges.” “This collection of songs feels good together,” he said. “It’s a lovely little journey from the first song to the end.” “We can’t wait to have a chance to play music for people live again. In the meantime, though, we’re super stoked to be
able to share some recorded music with everybody and hope that it helps them get through these tough times.” The band: Pete Robinson on guitar, banjo, vocals and harmonica; Chris Barnett on saxophone, back-up vocals and shaker; Mike McKoryk on bass guitar and stand-up bass; Tobyn Ross on vocals, cajon and guitar; and Jon Siddall on vocals, guitar, slide guitar, cajon and mandolin. Siddall produced the EP and New York’s Greg Calbi of Sterling Sound mastered it. Find Higher Ground online as of May 7.
I
bowenislandundercurrent.com
Thursday, April 29, 2021 • A13
Chums graduate Terminal Creek Hatchery volunteers celebrated Earth Day by releasing 100,000 salmon fry PHOTOS & WORDS BY LEN GILDAY Last Thursday, Earth Day, some of Terminal Creek Hatchery’s volunteers escorted Bowen’s 2021 graduating class of young chum salmon from the hatchery where they had grown from tiny eggs down to tidewater and their new life at sea. Marolyn Anderson, Martin Clarke, Tim Pardee, Don McQueen and Barry Pynn netted the young salmon (known as fry) from deep in the hatchery’s giant tanks. At the shore, the team tipped their pails to release approximately 70,000 fish into the shaded, shallow, and cool water of the Terminal Creek Lagoon. A further 30,000 were released into Davies Creek in Snug Cove. Each fish weighed roughly two-thirds of a gram (the weight of three toothpicks) and was about the length of your baby finger. The fry spent from a few hours to a couple of days in the sheltered water of the Lagoon or Davies Creek. Then they ventured out to begin their life in the ocean. Here, as young fry, they will spend several weeks near shore, hunting for food in the eelgrass beds of Mannion Bay, then further months in local waters before heading to the north Pacific. Chum salmon spend about four years fattening up at sea before returning to the stream where they were born to mate and die. Chum is the largest salmon species that spawns on Bowen Island. Individual fish are typically in the four to six kilogram range as returning adults. Wildlife Club volunteers operate the Terminal Creek Salmon Hatchery and monitor the health of Bowen’s salmon bearing creeks and riparian areas. Bowen’s hatchery volunteers work under the supervision of Malcolm Wigham from the Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) Salmon Enhancement Program.
Above: Blooms just starting on Bill Granger’s ‘Alexandria’ magnolia tree and then errupting on the right before they fall with the rains.
Above: Gorgeous blossoms from Diane Kaile.
Whether you're zooming or grooving pandemic style, we're still here to help get the word out for you or your organization. Listings are always free in our weekly community calendar. Please email your listing to Bronwyn by Tuesday 5 p.m. for that week's edition. editor@bowenislandundercurrent.com
Thank you!
A14 • Thursday, April 29, 2021
bowenislandundercurrent.com
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Tl’azt’en Nation is seekinga PUBLIC WORKS MANAGER to provide direction and leadership to its Public Works Department. Follow the link or scan the QR Code below for more information and how to apply. https://www.mnp.ca/en/services/ consulting/executive-recruiting/ career-opportunities/ manager-of-public-works-tlazten-nation Closing Date: May 9, 2021 Proof of certifications will be required prior to employment.
MOVING
Tl’azt’en Nation
is seekking an EDUCATION MANAGER to provide direction and leadership to its Education Department. Follow the link or scan the QR Code below for more information and how to apply. https://www.mnp.ca/en/services/ consulting/executive-recruiting/ career-opportunities/education-manager Closing Date: May 9, 2021 Type of position: 12-month term position (covering for a maternity leave).
Tl’azt’en Nation
is seeking an experienced FINANCE MANAGER to provide direction and leadership to its Finance Department. Follow the link or scan the QR Code below for more information and how to apply. https://www.mnp.ca/en/services/ consulting/executive-recruiting/ career-opportunities/ manager-of-finance-tlazten-nation
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Closing Date: May 9, 2021 Proof of certifications will be required prior to employment.
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CALENDAR ONGOING APRIL 15MAY 15
Bowen Blankets Bowen Island Museum & Bowen Island Public Library
APRIL 15MAY 3 Blind Contours Homage Series: Marlene Lowden Hearth Gallery Hours: 11 am-4 pm Thurs-Mon
MAY 5 MAY 10
Wayfinders II Hearth Gallery "Featuring works by Coral Louie,
Jane Dunfield, Diane Buchanan, Reidun van Kerval"
SATURDAY, MAY 1
Clean-up day See the Green Chair truck in the outside BICS 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
THURSDAY APRIL 29
Rotary talk: Peter and Lindiwe of Beautiful Gate project in Lesotho Zoom 7:30 pm Zoom info at bowenrotary.com.
FRIDAY APRIL 30
Fundance Film Festival Online 7 pm Five original student films. By donation. islandpacific.
Thursday, April 29, 2021 • A15 org/events
TUESDAY MAY 4
TOTI Presents: A New Hope by William Shakespeare YouTube and Zoom Webinar 7:30 pm What if the bard had written Star Wars? A Star Wars Day special
BOWEN HOME SERVICES love the life you live NEW CONSTRUCTION RENOVATIONS RESTORATION ADDITIONS SECONDARY STRUCTURES UNIQUE OUTDOOR SPACES SUB CONTRACT WORK
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CONTACT US FOR A FREE QUOTATION WWW.WHITEHART.CA ADDRESS 302-566 ARTISAN LANE BOWEN ISLAND, BC PHONE 1 (778) 999-3434
Now serving Bowen Island Free estimates nelcan.ca 604.428.1119
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Vehicles • Construction Equipment Sea-Can Containers • Tiny Homes Bowen Island • Greater Vancouver Vancouver Island • Sunshine Coast
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BOWEN ISLAND SPECIALISTS! QUALITY SERVICE GUARANTEED! Keep Calm and Call Econo
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A16 • Thursday, April 29, 2021
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Get to know your neighbour NEXT IN OUR Q&A SERIES: OYDIS NICKLE
What would you like to know about your neighbours? Send suggestions to editor@bowenislandundercurrent.com. This week’s neighbour: Oydis Nickle When did you come to Bowen? That’s tricky question. We started coming here as kids when mom and dad bought the marina in ‘85 and spent our summers here and then I and worked at Doc Morgan’s and Union Steamship Company Marina. And then I went to university got married and
I stayed in the states. I came back permanently in 2014. How did you come to be on Bowen? Mom and Dad, Dorothy and Rondy Dike, purchased the the marina in 1985, and redeveloped it. And then now I’ve moved up here to help them manage it in their older age. Fill the ferry lineup gap or don’t fill the gap? Fill it – fill the gap.
Why? Because sometimes people will leave spaces of hundreds of feet. And then they’re backed up and people who go to the top don’t think that there’s room on the ferry and they turn around. Where on Bowen do you live? Snug Point What’s your favourite Bowen fact or story? There really are too many – that Bowen could be in its own reality show every day. How’s that for an answer? Very diplomatic What do Bowen Islanders have in common? They’re very passionate about
PARK ROYAL CONSTRUCTION Home Renovations & General Contracting Water ingress • Dry rot • Mould removal Decks • Docks • Ramps
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what they believe in. That was also diplomatic. What’s your favourite COVID19 balm or activity? I just work as I normally have, I haven’t stopped. I probably work more than I have. But getting out on a boat. I guess you’ve long been a sailor? When I was seven, we sailed from England to Seattle. Rondy bought a boat in England. We refitted it and the whole family of five, plus a set of grandparents, was on the 36 foot sailboat and sailed it back from England. And everybody survived Yeah. That’s probably why we could fight and get along.
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